Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Hermosa, a Tica favorite
March 2015 After our most recent boat breakage debacle, we needed some time to unwind our nerves and relax. We departed Marina Papagayo at dusk and dropped our hook off Playa Hermosa as the last flecks of color retreated beneath a dark sky. We awoke early to an already-hot boat, tackled a couple projects, and […]
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No good very bad day
March 2015 Do you remember that game whack-a-mole? In case you’ve forgotten, it is a carnival game in which you whack a rubber hammer at a seemingly endless succession of “moles” that pop up from a series of holes in the table before you. The speedier you are and the more you strike, the higher […]
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Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Iguanita, a little-known gem
March 2015 After six days in Playa Panama, we weighed anchor and motored a few miles north to Playa Iguanita, the northeastern most anchorage in Bahia Culebra. Devoid of the panga-tethering mooring balls and tourist boats that characterize the other bays, the unspoiled space of water and blonde beach were welcome sights. We’d been enjoying […]
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Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Panama
February/March 2015 Winds in this bay never seem to abate for more than an hour or two. Gusts have spiked as high as the upper 30s in the anchorage, and we see the low 30s almost daily. Some moments I’m convinced that the only redeeming quality of this bay is its good holding. Okay, okay, […]
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From South Pacific Stitch to…Central American Scoot
February 2015 Would-be cruisers work like architects to draft their cruising plans. They identify the features they most desire in a boat and fantasize about the destinations they anticipate will be crown jewels of their journey. They modify their initial blueprints and seek the expertise of seasoned sailors. They strive to establish the skills necessary […]
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GUESTBOOK: Musings from the boat-el by Lindsay
February 2015 When our gaggle of friends visited Costa Rica, Lindsay opted for a berth at our boat-el, rather than the all-inclusive hotel. And we were so glad she did. Lindsay is the type of person everyone yearns to call their friend. She is empathic, encouraging, and fun-loving. She finds joy in simple moments and […]
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Rendezvousing with friends in Costa Rica
“There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.” ~Author Unknown February 2015 We had weathered high winds and a long night of storms and spent the morning close-hauled in 30+ knots as we bashed across the Golfo Papagayo. We sailed as tightly to the wind as Red Thread […]
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Mexico and beyond: 5 borders in 5 days
February 2015 We arrived at Chiapas at 10 o’clock, tired, and beneath a heavy cloak of darkness. We had anticipated an earlier arrival, when the moderate afternoon winds we’d craved throughout our T-Pec crossing had at last arrived and then abruptly dissipated. We held out hope of sailing further until we could no longer bear […]
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Long-jumping from Manzanillo to Chiapas + Ep. 4 VIDEO
Check out our first video after you read this story…or watch it now if you simply can’t wait! February 2015 The number of days until our friends were to fly from the US to meet us in Costa Rica were dwindling. When we weighed anchor in Las Hadas, we were still trying to prepare ourselves […]
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Voyage stats: Our first FOUR months
One hundred twenty-four days ago, we waved goodbye to our family and friends in Seattle and sailed into a September sunset beneath the Olympic Mountains. In 124 days (September 30 – January 31), we traveled from Seattle, Washington, USA to Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. I figured this would be a perfect time to crunch some numbers […]
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Sailing into a fairytale: Las Hadas Resort & Marina
January/February 2015 We weighed anchor at 2:30 am and when dawn came, we watched the sunrise together. And it was spectacular. The fusion of tropical oranges and juicy reds was breathtaking, leaving no question as to how the popular cocktail tequila sunrise had acquired its name. Light-air sailing and long-line nailing The day’s conditions were […]
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Whales, sails, and getting back on the horse
January 2015 Our time in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle had lasted weeks longer than we’d anticipated as we worked to tackle a number of repairs, and as much as we liked the charming little town, we both had very, very itchy feet. A whale tail goodbye Hauling up our anchor and setting forth on a […]
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GUESTBOOK: Reflections from Gail
December 2014/January 2015 Neil’s mom, Gail, joined us for 10 wonderful days between Christmas and early days of the new year. She sailed 200 miles with us down the coast of Mexico between Mazatlán and Banderas Bay. She sailed the longest distance of anyone yet, and she was our first guest to sail an overnight […]
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gastronoSEA: La Ballena Blanca, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico
January 2015 GASTRONOMY: The art or activity of cooking and eating fine food; the art or science of good eating. gastronoSEA: The art of eating well while cruising and of exploring the world’s eateries by sailboat. La Ballena Blanca For nearly two weeks, Neil and I walked passed the corner of Langosta and Tiburón almost […]
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Life in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle
January 2015 Loving La Cruz La Cruz has a large and well-established cruising community. The area is lush and beautiful, complete with many merits that sailors find enticing: beautiful scenery and consistent afternoon winds for sailing, islands nearby for snorkeling and diving, good food, and a kind local community. It also boasts a remarkable music […]
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s/v The Red Thread 